Fatherlessness is a "rot that is eating away at the modern soul," writes Douglas Wilson, and the problem goes far beyond physical absence. "Most of our families are starving for fathers, even if Dad is around, and there's a huge cost to our children and our society because of it." Father Hunger takes a thoughtful, timely, richly engaging excursion into our cultural chasm of absentee fatherhood. Blending leading-edge research with incisive analysis and real-life examples, Wilson:

• Traces a range of societal ills―from poverty and crime to joyless feminism and paternalistic government expansion―to a vacuum of mature masculinity
• Explains the key differences between asserting paternal authority and reestablishing true spiritual fathering
• Uncovers the corporate-fulfillment fallacy and other mistaken assumptions that undermine fatherhood
• Extols the benefits of restoring fruitful fathering, from stronger marriages to greater economic liberty

Filled with practical ideas and self-evaluation tools, Father Hunger both encourages and challenges men to "embrace the high calling of fatherhood," becoming the dads that their families and our culture so desperately need them to be.
"Wilson sounds a clarion call among Christian men that is pointedly biblical, urgently relevant, humorously accessible, and practically wise." ―Richard D. Phillips, author of The Masculine Mandate: God's Calling to Men
"Father Hunger illulstrates one of the greatest influences or lack thereof on the identity of a man: a father. Read a book that will strike an invisible chord in the lives of men both lost and found." ―Dr. Eric Mason, pastor of Epiphany Fellowship, Philadelphia

This was a difficult book to read as I found it very monotone in nature.  Set aside the monotone feel and the information provided is downright, Fatherhood 101.  New fathers, fathers who had little, no or poor role modeling will definitely benefit from the basics Douglas Wilson is presenting in this book.

Not sure what fatherhood is really all about, then read this book.  This book explores the hows and whys of fatherhood past, present and future. This book takes a man back to being a man, a father who raises his children, not controls them.  It teaches God's plan for a man being a father.

I was a single mom and read a number of  "men's books" so I could help my son in his growth.  This is a book I wish had been available back then.

Should you Buy the Book?  Yes.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

All I Need is Jesus and a Good Pair of Jeans by Susanna Foth Aughtmon

You know the pressure. To have the perfect Christian life and the perfect family. To be the perfect friend. To look perfect in those jeans. To be a supergirl. Instead of feeling good about yourself, you're left stuck in the gap between who you are and who you long to be.

Susanna Foth Aughtmon knows what it's like to be a tired supergirl, fighting the enemies of pride, worry, jealousy, busyness, loneliness, and many more. With humor and courage, she lays bare those times in her own life when she found it a challenge to live the life God wants for her. But even tired supergirls have a secret weapon: God's Truth.

With God's help, all of us can win the day against the subtle voices of Miz Do Good, Worry Man, Little Miss No Fair, and every other nemesis we encounter.

Before purchasing this book, I read the reviews.  All of them gave it 5 out of 5 stars.  Sorry, but I must disagree. 

The book, while funny parts in parts, tends to be on the level of someone in grade school.  I almost felt like Billy Mays, the Oxy Clean harker, had written this book.  It was that grating to read.

I really cannot recommend this book, however, I am in a minority based on the reviews posted on Amazon.

Heaven In Her Arms by Catherine Hickem

Mary was there the day Jesus was born and she was there the day he was crucified. Her story is deep and rich and has myriad lessons for any woman-mothers, daughters, sisters, friends.

Mary's story reveals that a woman's heart is important to the Father.

When God selected Mary," Hickem says, "He was looking for heart. God set out to find the precise woman who would give her heart to Him, completely and wholly. He wanted a woman with whom He could entrust His perfect Son. This was going to be no ordinary woman."

Heaven in Her Arms will touch your heart if you are facing fear and uncertainty, wondering about leaving your plans behind, feeling a need for community and the support of other women, or wanting to deepen your life of faith.

Hickem reflects on Mary's story and offers practical applications, as well as inspiring real-life stories from contemporary women. With a six-week Bible study for individuals or small groups, Heaven in Her Arms shows the life of faith Mary exemplified and God's tender heart for His daughters.





This was a slow read in the beginning but eventually I was caught up in learning more about Mary.  How Mary handles her situation provides a format we can all follow in raising our children, in being a woman and in just being a child of God.

Within this book, there are insights and perspectives that will benefit women of all ages and circumstances.
Throughout the pages, the author shares personal stories that will help women understand what she is trying to convey. The Study Guide at the back is a bonus that should be used.

Should you buy the book?  Yes.  I believe there things to be learned from Mary's life.  Sometimes, all we need is a different perspective on things and the author has done well to provide that.

Disclaimer:  This book was provided by Booksneeze for an honest review.

The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn

Is it possible...


That there exists an ancient mystery that holds the secret of America s future?


That this mystery lies behind everything from 9/11 to the collapse of the global economy?


That ancient harbingers of judgment are now manifesting in America?


That God is sending America a prophetic message of what is yet to come?


Before its destruction as a nation, ancient Israel received nine harbingers, prophetic omens of warning. The same nine harbingers are now manifesting in America with immediate ramifications for end-time prophecy.


Hidden in an ancient biblical prophecy from Isaiah, the mysteries revealed in The Harbinger are so precise that they foretold recent American events down to the exact days. The revelations are so specific that even the most hardened skeptics will find it hard to dismiss or put down. It sounds like the plot of a Hollywood thriller with one exception... IT S REAL.


The prophetic mysteries are revealed through an intriguing and engaging narrative the reader will find hard to put down. The Harbinger opens with the appearance of a man burdened with a message he has received from a mysterious figure called The Prophet. The Prophet has given him nine seals, each containing a message about America s future. As he tells of his encounters with The Prophet, from a skyscraper in New York City, to a rural mountaintop, to Capitol Hill, to Ground Zero, the mystery behind each seal is revealed. As the story unfolds, each revelation becomes a piece in a greater puzzle the ramifications of which will even alter the course of world history.

This is a thought provoking book, one I really need to read again.  The copy was loaned to me so I will have to buy the book in order to take it all in. 

I know not to take anything at face value no matter how well known or respected the author may be or who may endorse it.  I had not ever heard of this author, but when I asked some friends about the author and/or the book, they could only say they had heard of both.  All who had heard of the book were very intrigued and said they wanted to read it.

After reading it, I realized, I really need to know my Bible a whole lot better than I do.  Can what is written here be true?  Is it real?  I am still perplexed by it, which is why I need to read the book again.

I read some of the reviews on Amazon and of course, they were mixed, some saying the author was right on and others saying he was quack. 

Should you buy the book?  Yes and then give me your thoughts.

1000 Days, The Ministry of Christ by Jonathan Falwell

MEET JESUS.

A man both fully God and fully human,  A man who came to earth to accomplish and incredible and life-saving mission.  A man who intentionally lived most of his life in private but only three precious years in public ministry.  A man who did nothing by accident, living fully in light of the will of the Father.

What truths do these precious days entail for our lives today?  What does He want us to learn from these moments?  It's time we take a deeper look at both His mission and His ministry, these 1,000 days before the ascension.

In this book, Jonathan Falwell introduces the concept of "the happiness of less" as one of the keys to obtaining true peace from life.  From trials and tribulations to radical love, from hypocrisy and temptation to prayer, 1,000 Days offers rich insight into what Jesus has to say about life as we know it.

Rediscover the life of Jesus, and along the way you might just discover the life you were meant to live.

I really enjoyed this book.  Some may think it too simplistic but that is its appeal.

In each chapter, Falwell uses easy to understand examples and shows Jesus perspective using scripture.  At the end of each chapter, Falwell has questions for individual reflection or small group discussions.  I recommend, before going to the next chapter, to further study the current chapter using the back of the book, which contains a Bible Study Guide with Leader Helps and the 100 main events in Jesus life.

Falwell's book is progressive, each chapter building off the last.  You start out with the topic of Restless Hearts Meet the Peace of Jesus, going to Listening to God's Word, moving forward to An Invitation to Follow and then Life in Jesus' Kingdom.  Once there, Falwell starts going a little deeper into the topics of discipleship, loving your neighbor, hypocrisy, heaven and hell, temptation, worship and more.

Should you buy the book?  Absolutely, especially if you are a new Christian.

Our Favorite Sins by Todd Hunter

Our Favorite Sins The Sins We Commit and How You Can Quit

By Todd Hunter
Published by Thomas Nelson

Book Description

The Essential Guide for Beating Temptation

Falling for temptation isn’t inevitable. We don’t have to lose the fight. In fact, we can win if we understand the root of the problem and what Christians have done from the beginning to beat it. Our Favorite Sins shines a much-needed light in our lives’ dark corners and reveals the time-tested methods for getting victory over sin.

Are you tyrannized by your own desires?

If you are breathing, your answer is probably yes.

The question is: What are you going to do about it?

With more than thirty years of pastoral experience, Todd D. Hunter knows that most people—himself included—struggle every day with temptation. All too often, we fail and fall, and some of us are at our wit’s end, utterly defeated. What do we do to get a grip on the sin in our life and live like God wants?
There’s good news: despite all our failures and shameful “moments after,” there really is a way out, a way forward, and a way that draws us closer to the life that God desires for us.

In Our Favorite Sins, Hunter cracks open the problem of temptation and points to practical, Biblically based, time-tested solutions. First revealing the role played by our disordered desires, Hunter shows how different temptations trip us up and how we can resist and overcome them, even if we’ve fallen prey to them for decades. Victory starts with reordering our desires, and the church has given us the tools for the job. Hunter shows us how to use them and start beating the temptations that so often beat us.

Informed by exclusive research from the Barna Group, Our Favorite Sins offers a view that works for any believer wherever they are and no matter how big the battle they’re fighting.

The first half of the book defines, through various characters such as Anxious Annie, Procrasting Prestion, Eating Eddie, some very "deadly sins" in people's lives.  While I like the simplicity with which the author wrote and his use of names for sins, I do not believe he offered anything new with which to battle tempation. 

The author discusses that something tempts a person only if there is a preexisting desire in that person for the object in view, that sin and temptation are powerless without that desire. He states that tempation does not produce desire, desire make tempation possible.

When our desires for the things not of God, they are what the author calls, disordered desires.  After discussing and giving examples (1st half of book), the author talks about turning our hearts toward home, getting back to holiness and good virtues.  How does he suggest we go about this?  Through the practices of silence and solitude.  I am not familiar with the theology of the anglican church so maybe those concepts are new to them but to me, that is Christianity 101.

Would I recommend this book?  Probably not.  The bent is very denominational and while there is some foundational information contained in this book, I know that are other books available that can better teach how to truly follow Jesus!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Some Days There's Pie by Catherine Landis

Ruth thinks she has found her ticket out of Tennessee by eloping with a stereo salesman, but soon he “gets religion,” and Ruth leaves. When she faints in a North Carolina five-and-dime, Rose, a fiesty elderly reporter, rescues her, beginning a friendship stronger than family ties. With spirited humor and empathy, Landis intertwines the stories of Rose, who is in denial of her terminal illness, and Ruth, who posesses the energy of Rose in her younger days.
The title captured my attention.  The synopsis mildly intrigued me.  The book disappointed me. 

I found the book to be a slow read, which is usually not a good sign. While I enjoyed some of the characters they never seemed to gel, to connect, in order to make the story come alive. Perhaps if the author had more deeply explored some of the main characters, I might have found one with which to connect. I actually found myself having to backtrack to remember a character that was introduced early on and then dropped only to reappear again. 

Should you buy the book?  Only if discounted or bought at a garage sale.  Will I read her second novel?  The jury is still out on that one.